Hypodermic needle cleaning machine



p i 8, 53' o. w. VARGA 12,636,201

HYPODERMIC NEEDLE CLEANING MACHINE Filed Feb. 12, 1951 V 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 3 1N VEN TOR.

/a wag/91m? K24 0! April 28, 1953 o. w. VARGA HYPODERMIC NEEDLE CLEANING MACHINE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Feb. 12, 1951 Patented Apr. 28, 1953 Uiiii'iED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE HYPODERMIC NEEDLE CLEANING MACHINE Oscar Walter Varga, Englewood, Colo.

Application February 12, 1951, Serial No. 210,498

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a hypodermic needle cleaning machine, and is more particularly designed for use in large hospitals and institutions employing an excessive amount of needles. The invention has for its principal object the provision of a substantially automatic mechanism which will subject a continuous supply of hypodermic needles to a successive series of washing, cleansing, and drying steps and then automatically eject the cleansed needles into a receiver without handling or hand operations, and which will have a relatively large needle capacity.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description. In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all viewsof the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved hypodermic needle cleaning machine;

Fig. 2 is a top View thereof;

Fig. 3 is a front end view;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, enlargedfront view of a portion of a needle wheel employed in the improved machine, illustrating a needle in place therein;

Fig. 5 is a similar fragmentary edge view of the needle wheel;

Fig. 6 is a similar fragmentary, rear view of the needle wheel;

' Fig. 7 is an enlarged, longitudinal section through a pumping mechanism employed on the improved machine; and

Fig. dis a similarly enlarged section through an air or water nozzle used in the improved machine.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 a conventional hypodermic needle is illustrated at It, with its hollow syringe sleeve at I! and syringe sleeve flange at it.

The improved needle cleanin machine is mounted on a base plate It having a back plate 14, a partition plate It, and a front plate it extending upwardly therefrom. The back plate 14 and the partition plate l5 are relatively narrower than the base plate It and support a platform plate ll thereover. The front plate It is relatively wider than the plates I4 and I5 and is provided with a plurality of bracket members it radially positioned about its upper extremity.

A longitudinally movable, rotatable wheel 2 shaft it is journalled in the front and back plates IS and I4 and extends horizontally and longitudinally of the machine through the partition plate it. The'rear extremity of the shaft is is secured in a hand wheel 2!) by means of which the shaft is may be rotated. A circular needle wheel 2| is secured on the forward extremity of the needle shaft by means of a clamp nut 22.

The shaft I9 is constantly urged forwardly, and the needle wheel 2| is caused to rotate through preset intervals by means of a rounded plunger 32 which is constantly urged against the rear face of the needle wheel by means of a spring 33 mounted in a spring barrel 34. The spring barrel is secured in the front plate It by means of clamping nuts 35. The rounded extremity of the plunger 32 successively engages stop holes 36 of smaller diameter than the plunger, which are formed in an annular series in the needle wheel 2|. It can be seen that when rotative pressure is applied to the hand wheel 20, it will cause the rounded extremity of the plunger 32 to slide from one stop hole 36 and snap into the next following stop hole 36 so that the wheel 2! will rotate at intervals, sixteen intervals being illustrated.

The shaft l9 can be forced rearwardly against the action of the spring 33 by means of a handle 39 provided with a handle ball 3 l. The handle 39 is mounted in a pressure plate 29, from which a bifurcated yoke 26 extends downwardly. The yoke 25 is pivoted on a pivot pin 28 in a notch in the forward extremity of the platform plate I1, and terminates at its lower extremityin two bearing rollers 27 which ride in a circumferential groove in a grooved collar 26. The collar 24 is rotatably and slidably mounted on the shaft I9 between a compression spring 23 and a first set collar 90. The spring 23 is compressed between the grooved collar 24 and a second rear set collar 25. The collars 25 and at are secured to the shaft [9 in any desired manner, such as by means of set screws. It can be seen that if the handle Si is swung forwardly, the-yoke 26 will act through the spring 23 to force the needle wheel resiliently rearward toward the front'pla'te It.

The edge of the needle wheel is provided with a rear circumferential flange 3'5 in which a plurality of uniformly spaced needle notches 38 are formed corresponding in number to the number of stop holes 36. The needle notches are designed to receive the syringe sleeves ll of the hypodermic needles it, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

The syringe sleeves II of theneedles are held in the notches 38 by means of wire latch springs 39 which are formed with U-shaped loops at their one extremities overlying the sleeves ll of the needles. Each latch spring extends radially inward on the rear face of the needle wheel and about an anchor screw 40, thence terminates around a stop screw 4|. The springs are held in place by an overlapping staple 81. It can be seen that the looped extremity of the spring 39 can be forced back to allow the syringe sleeves l l of the needles to be inserted, and the loop in the extremity of the spring will then snap over the sleeve 1 l of the needle to retain the latter in the notch 38. The needles are prevented from rotating in the notches 38 of the needle wheel by means of stop screws 85 extending radially from the needle wheel 2| adjacent each of the notches 38 to be engaged by fiat sides which are formed on the bases of all hypodermic needles.

.' The wheel 2| is rotated in a clockwise direction' in Fig. 3 so that the needles in the notches 38 are successively brought in front of a detergent nozzle 43, a water nozzle 44, an air nozzle 45, a rotating cleaning swab 45, and a final air nozzle 41. Each of the nozzles and the cleaning swab 45 is supported in one of the brackets 18 about the periphery of the needle wheel 2! and in alignment with the interval positions of the notches 38.

The air nozzles 45 and 41 are imilar in 0011- a struction and are illustrated more in detail in Fig. 8. Each nozzle is formed with a tip portion 48 surrounded by a resilient washer 49. The nozzles are mounted on the forward extremities of straight nipples 59 which extend through the respective brackets I8. The nipple of the nozzle 41 is connected to an air pipe 50, and the nozzle 45 is connected to a second air pipe 55. The air pipe 5i takes its air from the pipe 55, and the flow through the pipe 5| is adjustable by means of a control valve 52. A cushion spring 5! is positioned between each of the nozzles 45 and ll and their respective brackets It so that the nozzles may move resiliently inward toward its bracket.

When the handle is forced forwardly, the needles in the hatches 38 will be forced rearwardly so that their collars II will pass over the tips 48 of the nozzles and 47 to allow the syringe sleeve flanges l2 to seal against th resilient washers 49 under the compression of the springs 6|.

The air pipe 50 extends from a push-type valve 53 secured beneath the platform plate ii and provided with a valve opening plunger 55. The valve 53 is supplied with air from any suitable source through an air supply main 54. The push valve 53 is so positioned that its opening plunger 56 will be in the path of the yoke 25 so that as the yoke swings rearwardly to retract the wheel 2|, the plunger will be contacted to open the valve 53 and supply air to the two air nozzles 45 and 41.

The detergent nozzle 43 is supplied with detergent fluid from a detergent pump 51, and the water nozzle 44 is supplied with water from a. water pump 58. In Fig. 7 a longitudinal section of the detergent pump 51 is illustrated. It is to be understood that a cross-section of the water pump 58 would be similar to that illustrated in this figure.

The pumps 5'5 and 58 are formed with reduced forward extremities 59 which slidably extend through their respective brackets i8. zles 43 and 44 are threaded onto the forward ends The noz- 4 of the reduced extremities 59 and one of the cushion springs 6|, similar to those used on the air nozzles, is positioned between each nozzle and its respective arm so that the nozzle may be forced resiliently inward.

Each nozzle is normally closed by means of a ball valve 62 which can be forced from its seat by means of a hollow push tube 63, one of which extends forwardly from each of the nozzles 43 and 44. The inner end of each push tube is notched so that its hollow interior will not be sealed by the ball 62.

Each of the pumps 51 and 58 is provided with a pump piston 64 mounted on a piston rod 65 which extends rearwardly through a cylinder head cap 66 on each pump. The pistons 64 are constantly urged'rearwardly in the pumps by means of helical springs 61 acting against spring nuts 68 on the piston rods 65.

Fluid is admitted to each of the pumps through a bottom nipple 651 closed by a hose nipple Ill. A check valve ball ll is positioned in each hose nipple ill to prevent fluid from flowing away from the pumps. A water supply hose l2 conducts water to the water pump 58, and a detergent supply hose l3 conducts detergent fluid to the detergent pump 5'! from any suitable elevated source.

it can be readily seen that rearward movement or the wheel 2| will cause the needle collars H to pass onto the tips of the nozzles 43 and 44. In so doing, the push tubes 63 will .be forced inwardly to open the ball valves 62. Further forward movement of the handle 30 causes the needle sleeves to seat over the nozzles 43 and 44 and to lOl'CE the latter inward against the springs 5| until the pressure plate 29 contacts the rear extremities of the piston rods 65 to force both pistons 54 forwardly in their respective pumps. This forces predetermined amounts of water and detergent fluid through the respective nozzles 44 and a3 and through push tubes 53 into the needles I0.

When the handle 30 is released, the wheel 2| moves away from the nozzles 43 and 44, and the pressure plate 29 moves away from the piston rods 55 to allow the springs 61 to return the pistons 64. Water and detergent fluid then flows from the respective supply hoses 12 and 13 to lift the valve balls ll and refill the pumps.

After the needles have been subjected to the detergent solution from the nozzle 43 and to the washing solution from the nozzle 44, they pass in front of the first air nozzle 45, which directs a blast of compressed air through the needle to remove any moisture therefrom. The needle then moves in front of the cleaning swab 4B, which is mounted on the forward extremity of a swab shaft 14 extending from the shaft of an electric motor 15 mounted on a motor platform 76 supported from the platform plate H.

The motor 15 is operating continuously during the operation of the needle cleaning machine, so that when the needle wheel 2i moves rearwardly, the collar portion of each needle will pass over the rotating swab so that the latter will loosen and clean out any foreign material in the collar. The collar is prevented from rotating with the swab by the stop screw which is engaging a flat side on the base of the needle.

From the swab the needle passes to the second air nozzle 41, which directs a blast of air into the needle to remove any adhering foreign material loosened by the swab. An auxiliary air jet 1'! is positioned adjacent to, and exteriorly of, the air nozzle 41 to remove any adhering material from the exterior of the needle.

The needle then passes in front of an ejector pin 18 formed on one extremity of an L-shaped ejector arm 19. The ejector arm is mounted by means of a pivot screw 80 upon an ejector bracket 8! supported from the front plate 16. The other extremity of the ejector arm is connected by means of a flexible member, such as a chain 82, with a chain arm 83 extending from one side of the yoke 26. The ejector pin 18 is constantly urged toward the axis of the shaft l9 by means of a hinge spring 84, the inward movement of the ejector pin being limited by a stop screw 42 in the bracket 8|.

It can be seen that when the handle 30 is moved forwardly to pull the needle wheel 2| rearwardly, the lower extremity of the yoke 26 will swing rearwardly, causing the chain arm 83 to tighten the chain 82 so as to swing the ejector pin 18 to the right in Fig. 3 so as to pull the needle sleeve II from its engagement with the retaining spring 39. The cleansed needle will fall from the wheel 2| into any suitable receiving receptacle, such as indicated at 86.

A safety stud 55 is mounted on the front plate 16 by means of suitable mounting nuts 88. The stud is positioned in alignment with the stop holes 36 and at the proper stopping position for the needles. The diameter of the stud is just sufficient to allow one of the holes 36 to pass thereover when in the proper position. The stud contacts and prevents the needle wheel from moving rearwardly unless the needles are in exact position over the nozzles and other equipment.

It will be noted that the needles are not A touched by human hands from the time they are inserted in their receiving notches 38, and that they are successively submitted to a detergent cleaning, a washing to remove the detergent, an air blast to remove the water, a swabbing to remove loosened dry material, and an air blast to remove the final material loosened by the swab, so that they are delivered to the receptacle 86 in a perfectly cleansed condition.

While the machine has been illustrated with a hand wheel 20 for rotating the needle wheel 2i, it is conceivable that the shaft 19 may be rotated from a motor or other device through a clutch operated by the rearward movement of the shaft l9 so that the only manual operation necessary will be forcing the handle 30 forwardly after each needle has been inserted.

While a specific form of the improvement has been illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without dehypodermic needles in spaced relation there-' about; a stationary frame member positioned rearwardly of said wheel to be approached by the latter; nozzle supporting means mounted on said frame member so that the nozzles supported thereby will be in alignment with the needles in said wheel so as to engage the latter when said wheel moves rearwardly; and means for supplying cleaning solutions to said nozzles.

2. A needle cleaning device as described in claim 1 having pumping means mounted on said frame member, said pumping means being arranged to be actuated by the rearward movement of said wheel to supply cleaning fluid through said nozzles to said needles.

3. A hypodermic cleaning device as described in claim 2 and having discharge valves mounted in said nozzles; and valve-opening means adapted to be contacted by said needles for opening said valves as said wheel moves rearwardly.

4. A needle cleaning machine as described in claim 1 having conduits supplying cleaning fluid to said nozzles; a push-operated valve controlling the flow through said conduits; and means for opening said valve in consequence of the rearward movement of said wheel.

5. A hypodermic needle cleaning machine as described in claim 2 having a rotating swab device supported by said frame member in alignment with a position of said needles in said Wheel so that as said wheel moves rearwardly, said needles will engage said swab for cleaning foreign material therefrom.

OSCAR WALTER VARGA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

